The Cabinet will be asked to make decisions on a number of issues. These include the Council’s Commercial Policy, a report on the procurement of services for children who cannot attend school, the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report, and the appointment of a Member Champion for the Armed Forces.

Annual Director of Public Health Report 2024: Women's Health

The Cabinet will be asked to endorse the Annual Director of Public Health Report, the theme of which this year is Women's Health.

The report has been informed by interviews and other engagement with a range of women in Torbay. It notes that, despite progress made in improving the lives of women, inequalities persist. The report's authors say that

Focusing on women’s health opens further opportunities to centre our understanding of the causes, opportunities, and solutions for improving outcomes for all residents.

It says that women in Torbay live slightly longer than men but experience more periods of poor health. It also notes the higher rates of domestic violence and sexual assault experienced by women.

The report focuses on the following themes:

• Women, employment, and household labour.
• Working with vulnerable women.
• Discrimination, inclusion, and exclusion.
• Connecting with communities.
• Reproductive Health
• Barriers to being physically active.

Procurement of Education other than at School (EOTAS) Programme

A report will ask the Cabinet to approve the procurement of a programme of Education other than at School (EOTAS).

EOTAS is provided to children and young people (CYP) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and are unable to attend school. The report says that in the 2023/24 academic year, 97 CYP were provided with EOTAS at a cost of £1,168,844.70.

The report says that because EOTAS is currently purchased on an ad-hoc basis,

The EOTAS packages that CYP currently receive are often dependent on the availability of provision and the hours and offer being accessed can vary hugely.

It also says that

There are a high number of alternative providers which are commissioned by Torbay Children’s Services with varying impact and outcomes for the CYP who access them.

The Council proposes to introduce three new contracts for EOTAS, these are:

• Lot 1- Block Contract with one provider for core curriculum education
• Lot 2 – Block Contract with one provider for community inclusion and preparing for adulthood
• Lot 3 – Framework for vocational and interest-based curriculum to enhance the educational offer to meet CYP aspirations

Commercial Policy

The meeting will include a discussion about the Council’s Commercial Policy.

The report to the Cabinet says that

Procurement and Contract Management activities are vital for enabling the Council to meet its strategic objectives and operational needs whilst gaining best value for money in delivering services for our residents and communities.

The proposed Commercial Policy sets out the Council’s approach to buying goods and services and managing the contracts for those goods and services.

The report says that the Policy is needed because

The Council does not currently have a Commercial Policy to implement the revised Contract Procedures put in place on 01 April 2024, the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, the Procurement Act 2023 and any associated secondary legislation.

It says that the new Commercial Policy will

provide a framework for ensuring the Council gives regard to the following procurement principles:

• delivering value for money;
• maximising public benefit;
• working transparently and sharing information where appropriate;
• acting with, and being seen to act with, integrity;
• treating Suppliers the same unless a difference between the Suppliers justifies different treatment;
• giving regard to the fact that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may face particular barriers to participation;
• securing the needs of people who use services, improving the quality of services and improving efficiency in the provision of services.

Appointment of Member Champion

The meeting will also consider a report that proposes the appointment of Councillor Spacagna as the Armed Forces Champion for Torbay Council.

The report says that

Member champions are elected members who act as an advocate or spokesperson for a specific area of the Council’s business.

The role of Armed Forces Champion is currently held by Councillor Tranter and the report proposes that the role pass to Councillor Spacagna for the remainder of the current four-year term of office.